“Art unites what man divides. The objective of art is contributing to the definition and creation of an idea of town intended as philosophy of life, a projection of beauty in the world”: the sculptor from Pescara Franco Summa (1938 – 2020) gave such a definition for artworks installed in urban areas. They become an integral part of the town as they connect past and present and they interact with the citizens. That is the mission of Summa which has been embraced by Gessopalena since 2022 when a monumental multicoloured circular sculpture has been installed: “Fanciulla n. 1” (maiden), well integrated with the urban landscape all around.

The steel sculpture by Summa is approximately 5 metres high and painted with multi-coloured polishes, its shape recalls the imaginary lineaments of a woman projected in a new dimension of search for beauty and harmony. Through this sculpture Gessopalena pays its tribute to eternal art, extending further its image of a town which has made culture its lifestyle and an additional attraction for tourists.

In Gessopalena, the relationship between art and nature is also represented by another symbol of its history and of its landscape: the solitary rock of La Morgia, which emerges on the territory around the town centre where once was extracted the stone to build the borough. Around that place, the “Park of Joy” was inaugurated on March 2023. The chalky spur has been the setting of some legends along the centuries, the best known is by the anthropologist from Gessopalena Gennaro Finamore (1836 - 1923); according to it Morgia was displaced from Palena to Gessopalena by the biblical hero Samson alone.

A beautiful piece of contemporary art is, instead, signed by the Greek artist Costas Varotsos who in 1996 has installed in a crack at the top of Morgia – caused by the erosion of time - a 20 metre multi-layered bluish glass slab. “La Morgia” by Varotsos has become a space reference point between the Aventino and Sangro Valleys, a magic place listed among the most representative wonders of the region.

[Credits | Text: Ottavio Di Renzo De Laurentis | Translation: Mirella Rapa | Voice and music: Studio Qreate | Photo: Laura Di Biase]